Cocoa, FL Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)

Cocoa runs solid waste collection through a franchise arrangement described in Chapter 9, Article II, and Sec. 9-24 makes the underlying legal theory explicit: the city council has declared that the collection and disposal service benefits every parcel of real property in the city by an amount equal to or greater than what the service costs, the basis the city uses to charge and collect solid waste fees. Sec. 9-23 lays out the article's purpose, requiring nearly everyone in the city to have their solid waste collected and disposed of properly, and to eliminate illegal dumping.

The practical scheduling rule sits in Sec. on collection day itself. Placement is restricted too. Carts cannot block sidewalks, streets or rights-of-way, and cannot sit within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant. Refrigerator and freezer doors must be removed before those appliances go out for collection, sharp or hazardous items like broken glass and razor blades cannot go in the cart, and hypodermic needles must be broken or otherwise rendered inoperable and securely wrapped before disposal. Only city- or contractor-approved carts, containers, roll-offs or compactors may be used, and carts must be pulled back from the curb the same day they are emptied. Sec. 9-25 separately makes any unauthorized accumulation of solid waste on a property a declared public nuisance in its own right.